Good Look And Rascals World Premiere At Oakley

For 10 years running Oakley has hosted premieres for some of the biggest movies in snowboarding at its SoCal headquaters. It all started back in 2001 with the showing of Forum’s True Life made by Mack Dawg. Since then much has changed. Tricks have evolved to a mind-blowing level. Mack Dawg has closed up shop and People, now six films deep, have stepped up to take its place. And the crowd of premiere goers has oddly diversified.

On Thursday September 15, Oakley’s lobby-turned-bar was a mix of 500 industry heads, pro shreds (including, most noticeably, a wizard stick toting Austin Smith), children, babies, parents, and an Orange County classic, women clad in miniskirts, platform shoes, and Botox, all gathered to see People’s newest project, Good Look.

Before the main event, the melting pot of people was treated to a showing of Rascals, a ten-minute flick from Bryan Fox and Scott E. Wittlake. The film, shot entirely at Mt. Baker, opens with a Super-8 start-of-day montage set to Waylon Jennings Come With Me. While the snowboard community usually looks on country music as favorably as stepping in a fresh pile of cow shit, the song undeniably works with the grainy film and misty Northwest vibe. But from there it jolts to Byran and Scott E. ripping hit runs and pow laps to NOFX’s well-chosen Moron Brothers. And it continues to deliver fast paced riding that makes you want to shred from Curtis Ciszek, Jake Blauvelt, Shaun McKay, Austin Smith, Forrest Burki, John Laing, and Pat McCarthy. The feeling of sharing epic moments with friends, like the pow days Rascals captured, was infectious enough to spark a sing-along to a segment cut to Violent Femmes’ American Music. This movie is pure good times. When it makes its online premiere right here on TWsnow.com, keep an eye out for one of the best clips, a “Freestyle moment brought to you by Jamie Lynn.”

Good Look—this is what you get when you combine some of the best snowboarders in the world with some of the most proven snowboard filmmakers. The editing is tight and you best believe it has all the double corks and gap-over-fence/barrier/your-mom to-rail combos you could want. Some highlights: Joe Sexton is the proud new owner of nosepresses to backside 360 out; Lauri Heiskari delivers his own twist on a double cork; JP Walker has a switch backside three off the Whistler stepdown made famous by Lucas Huffman in Shakedown and a gap-hardway backside 270 and that are just ridiculous. At 35 years-old, JP shows that staying on top is less about age and more about delivering progressive riding. He’s remained relevant by constantly pushing himself and this part is evidence of why sponsors still back him. (Several other riders fit this category too. See Seth Huot’s mini part in the opening montage, plus Terje, Jeremy Jones, and Jussi Oksanen in Burton’s Standing Sideways. And one has a feeling Big Mountain Jeremy still has plenty of years left.) Sometimes though, it just takes time to come into your own. Such is the case for Eric Jackson who, clad in a thick beard for the duration of his part, is a beast the world has only begun to see. E-Jack closes the movie with a one-and-half song seggy that will likely be a contender for this season’s best.

Grab a copy of Good Look when it hits snowboard shops two weeks from now or download it on iTunes early October. Featuring: Eero Niemala, Eric Jackson, Lauri Heiskari, Shaun McKay, Simon Chamberlain, JP Walker, Joe Sexton, Aaron Biitner, and Heikki Sorsa.

And remember: This is just the start of People Week. Check back for behind-the-scenes videos from the Whistler backcountry with Eero, E-Jack, and McKay, plus a Helsinki rail mission with JP, Joe, Lauri, and Simon, and plenty more unseen footy.